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International Office

Employment Opportunities

Fresno State alumni become professionals working at prestigious companies such as Amazon, Apple, Boeing, Google, Intel, and Microsoft. Conveniently located in the heart of California, Fresno offers easy access to employment opportunities in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the Silicon Valley.

Although your main purpose of coming to the U.S. is to study at Fresno State, there are many employment and professional experience opportunities available to you, both while you are a student and after you graduate. 

  1. On-Campus Employment. On-campus employment must be performed on the school’s premises (including on-location commercial firms which provide services for students on campus, such as the school bookstore or cafeteria). Students are eligible to apply for on-campus jobs during your first semester of study at Fresno State, pending approval from the International Office. 
  2. Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an employment option available to F-1 students before program completion where employment is considered to be an integral part of the curriculum or academic program, such as an internship.
  3. Severe Economic Hardship. A Fresno State student must be in F-1 status for one full academic year before he or she is eligible to apply for a severe economic hardship authorization. If on-campus employment opportunities are not available or are otherwise insufficient, an eligible F-1 student may request off-campus employment work authorization based upon severe economic hardship.
  4. Optional Practical Training (OPT) is an opportunity for students to work 12 months in their field, after program completion at Fresno State. 
  5. STEM Optional Practical Training: F-1 students who receive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees included on the STEM Designated Degree Program List, are employed by employers enrolled in E-Verify, and who have received an initial grant of post-completion OPT related to such a degree, may apply for a 24-month extension which extends OPT for another 24 months making a total of 3 years of OPT period.
  6. Additional Employment Resources are available through the Career Development Center, located in the Thomas Building Room 103. They help educate, prepare, and connect students to campus jobs, internships, career possibilities, and lifelong success.